Name: Spaghetti aglio e olio with garlic and chili
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 200 g spaghetti (preferably semolina); 40 ml extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves of garlic; 1 pc small fresh chili pepper (or 0.5 teaspoon dried chili flakes); 10 g Parmesan or another hard cheese for sprinkling (optional); 10 g fresh parsley, chopped (optional); 30 ml pasta cooking water (minimum, adjust as needed); salt for pasta cooking freshly ground pepper to taste

Spaghetti aglio e olio with garlic and chili

Spaghetti aglio e olio are exactly the kind of recipe that saves you whenever you open the pantry and feel like “there’s nothing in here.” Really all you need are pasta, garlic, olive oil, a piece of chilli and salt – and in a few minutes you have a dish that tastes like it came from a small Italian bistro. The garlic is gently fragranced in the oil, not burned, the chilli gives just the right kick, and the pasta water brings the sauce together into a glossy coating that covers every single “spaghetto.” Speed, a few ingredients and a flavour that makes you happily make this recipe twice a week.

⏱ 15 min● easy♨ 2 servings

Step by step

Instructions

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1Step 1Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it boils, heavily salt it – it should be as salty as the sea so the pasta has flavor on its own. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions to "al dente" – preferably a minute less, as it will finish cooking in the pan.
2Step 2Meanwhile prepare the base. Peel the garlic and slice it thinly (better than crushed – it behaves more gently in the pan). Remove the seeds from the chili if you don't want extra heat, and slice it into thin rings or finely. Chop the parsley finely, grate the Parmesan.
3Step 3Pour olive oil into a deeper pan and heat it over medium. Add slices of garlic and chili. Sauté slowly – the garlic should only lightly brown, not turn dark. If it darkens too much it becomes bitter and ruins the whole dish. So prefer a lower heat and feel free to take the pan off the heat occasionally.
4Step 4When the spaghetti are al dente, ladle out a little pasta water (about ½ cup is fine) and set aside. Drain the pasta, but don’t rinse – the starch on the surface is useful for the sauce.
5Step 5Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the garlic and chili. Toss, pour in a few tablespoons of the pasta water and start “turning” the pasta in the pan with the oil so everything combines. The starchy water will form a light emulsion with the oil – the spaghetti’s surface will be glossy and it won’t just be oil running on the bottom.
6Step 6If the mixture seems too dry, add more pasta water little by little. Season with salt (careful, the water and pasta are already salty), freshly ground pepper, and finally stir in chopped parsley. Heat briefly — you don’t want to dry the spaghetti, just coat them in a thin layer of garlic-chili sauce.
7Step 7Serve immediately on plates. Sprinkle with Parmesan (if using) and feel free to add a few more drops of olive oil on top. This is the kind of dish that tastes best right away – it doesn’t wait for you, you wait for it.

Kitchen tip

Good aglio e olio is all in the details: don’t burn the garlic, don’t skimp on salt in the pasta water, and don’t hesitate to use the cooking water — it’s the “secret weapon” that gives you a real sauce, not just oil and noodles. And if you’re in the mood for a bigger Italian dinner, you can easily add something creamier like spaghetti carbonara and make yourself a little “pasta menu” at home.

Customize this recipe

Variants and alternatives

Less spicy version: omit the chili entirely or use just a pinch. You’ll have the classic garlic flavor that’s pleasant even for those who don’t like heat.

Approximate per serving

Nutritional values

Energie560 kcalProteins18 gSacharidy78 gTuky18 g

Spaghetti aglio e olio with garlic and chili

Instructions

Variants and alternatives

Nutritional values

Save this recipe for next time.

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Instructions

Variants and alternatives

Nutritional values

Save this recipe for next time.

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